I Hope
by headupintheclouds
Summary: This is a quick oneshot about Lily and James. It's the final day of 7th year, and James Potter knows her has to do something drastic before he loses Lily Evans forever. Will it be enough?


I Hope… 

By headupintheclouds

Late at night, with end-of-year parties bustling down the stairs, a sober conversation was being held up in the 7th year boys' dorm. Gathered on Sirius Black's bed were Remus, Peter, and Sirius himself, all at strict attention. Pacing in front of them was James Potter.

"I don't think you ought to give up, mate," Remus reasoned.

"But you saw that fiasco down in the Great Hall this morning! Oatmeal and bacon all over my favorite robes!" James exploded, his voice laced with disappointment.

"If you don't take a chance, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. It's not as if this is one of Sirius' –no offense, of course, Sirius,- overnight squeezes. You've been chasing Lily since first year." Remus returned.

Peter nodded vigorously. James stopped pacing and looked at his friends, unsure.

"Mate, I've told you this many times before, on different occasions: If you don't do this, you won't forgive yourself." Sirius put in.

"And you've been right," James admitted quietly. "But how am I supposed to take a chance? Haven't I done that, in some form or other, _every single day_ since 5th year?"

"Yeah!" Peter interjected, and they all turned to him.

"Rhetorical, Peter." Sirius informed in a bored tone.

"Right," Peter nodded, appearing to be bashful, but if anyone had bothered to look into his eyes, they would've seen pure, unadulterated resentment.

"Anyway," James reclaimed the attention, "how am I supposed to do anything grand and magnificent when she can't stand me? She doesn't even trust me!"

"Well, you haven't exactly given her reason to." Remus emphasized quietly.

"I've asked her out every bloody day for two years, and many times before that!" James retorted, "Whose side are you on, anyway!"

Remus gave him a look that said, "You know what I meant," and James returned to his pacing.

"You could shower her with flowers and lavish gifts!" Peter squeaked.

All eyes turned on him in bewilderment. "I –er- read it in a book!" Peter floundered, in a vain attempt to save himself.

This merely led to even more confusion, but the other men turned away, preferring their questions to go unanswered. Peter frowned to himself.

"Well, what was it she yelled as she splattered a perfectly good breakfast all over you?" Sirius tried, earning a warning glance from James.

"I'd rather not recall," he replied.

"You have to!" Remus exclaimed. "How else are you going to know what she wants from you?"

James looked at him dumbly, shrugging.

"Well, I talked to her this morning, and she said she knows that you only want her because you can't have her, and that she wants an actual commitment, although I think she meant the last part in a general sense."

James sighed, and Remus got a thoughtful look on his face.

"I have an idea!" he resumed.

"Me too!" Peter exclaimed gaily.

"Erm- I think we'll go with Remus' idea," James concluded. Peter frowned again, and they all huddled into a group as Remus laid out a plan.

James woke up early the next morning, jitterbugs filling him. He knew that today was the final day of school, although for 7th years, it was merely a celebration. He also knew that the parents of every 7th year were down in Hogsmeade, waiting for festivities to begin. He scrambled out of bed and got himself ready quicker than normally.

Although it was scarcely 6 in the morning, he carefully snuck out of the castle, down to the grounds, and beyond.

A little over an hour later, he returned, casually slinking into the normal atmosphere. He joined his friends and the breakfast table.

Remus greeted him with raised eyebrows, and James grinned and nodded. Remus looked impressed, and the rest of the meal passed silently.

Finally, the rest of the years were herded out, and eager parents of 7th years entered, most of the mothers having morphed into leaky hosepipes.

Tearful reunions occurred, and James met up with grinning parents. His father mussed his messy black hair, a proud gleam in his eyes.

James' mother was no exception to the tearful-mothers rule, and she pulled him close, forcing him to lean down and she cried into his shirt. After five minutes, James' father rescued his bewildered son, and pulling his wife into him.

James looked at his father gratefully, before turning to anxiously scan the crowd.

At exactly 9:25, he began to make his way through the swarm of people, and met up with the other Marauders near the door. They all surveyed him with supportive eyes.

"Nervous?" Sirius teased.

"You would be too," James replied, wringing his hands. He turned to Remus, "She coming?"

"Said she'd be here in a minute. We'd better make ourselves scarce." Remus grinned at his friend.

"Thanks," James said quietly, looking down at his feet.

"What are Marauders for?" Sirius asked merrily, and after that, they all dispersed.

He spotted Lily Evans' red hair making its' way through the crowd, and James took what he knew would be the last carefree breath until the whole ordeal was over.

The rest of her finally emerged, and a look of surprise, followed by outrage spread across her face when her eyes landed on James. She started to turn away, but he grabbed her arm, a pleading look on his face.

Curiosity filled her, in spite of herself, and she followed him out into the empty hallway that was the Entranceway.

"What?" she asked pointedly though clenched teeth.

"Please," James started. "Give me only five minutes of your time,"

She crossed her arms, but nodded for him to continue. Tentatively, he took her forearm and led her to the doors.

She looked at him incredulously, but he quickly supplied, "It'll be better outside."

Feeling confused for one of the few times in her life, Lily followed grudgingly. James let go of her forearm to open the door, and because he'd noticed that his hands were suddenly very sweaty.

"Get on with it," Lily said.

"Not yet. Just over there, by that tree." James replied, his eyes begging her to follow. She raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Potter, why are you doing this? Why are you pretending to be nice? There's nothing you can do to change my mind!" Lily said gruffly.

James said nothing aloud, but his heart chorused, _yes there is. I hope._

"Right here!" he stopped suddenly. Lily gestured for him to get on with it.

"Now, before I go any further, all I ask is that you let me finish, and at least consider it." James stalled.

"Right," Lily agreed, somewhat grudgingly. Her suspense, however, was mounting, so she allowed him this one thing.

_Here goes…_ James thought. He reached in his pocket, closing his hand around a velvet box. Dropping to one knee, he opened the box and started what had been a long prepared, rehearsed speech.

Lily's eyes opened disbelievingly, and she stepped back. She looked on the verge of running, and James looked down.

"Please. You promised," he said, and as soon as the words had left his lips, he became aware of how elementary they sounded.

This stopped Lily.

"I know that we haven't dated," James started, swallowing a lump in his throat. "And I know that we haven't exactly gotten along. But I also know that you want this as much as me." _I hope_, his heart chorused.

"Lily Evans," he sped through the rest of his meaningless babble of a speech. "Will you marry me?"

A sharp intake of breath was the only sound that greeted him. He chanced a glance up, and Lily merely looked at him, seeming to be waiting for him to jump up and say it was all a joke. He was tempted to.

"But- my parents-" she stuttered.

"I asked them," James assured her. This earned him a refreshed incredulous look.

"But- _your_ parents-" she continued.

"Them too," he guaranteed her.

"But- but- but-" she searched desperately for another loophole.

Defeated, he started to get up.

"What are you doing!" Lily asked, bewildered.

"Well, you're not exactly answering, and there's only so much time I can spend with a rock digging into my supporting knee…" James rambled sadly.

"But I haven't answered yet!" Lily exploded.

"I figured… you weren't going to…" James said lamely.

"Of course I'm going to answer! Get the hell back down on one knee!" Lily countered shoving him down.

James looked at her inquisitively.

"Well, that's what you're _supposed_ to do!" She defended.

"Get on with it then," he sighed. "Or, I'll do it for you- No, you're an ignorant prat that has no decency!"

"I never said that!" Lily testified.

"Maybe not that exact thing, but many versions of it," James replied.

"Yes." Lily said simply.

"Yes, I know you've said many altered versions, and I'm sorry I upset you by misquoting you!" James expressed.

"Not that, I meant yes to the other question." Lily said shyly.

"The other…-" James puzzled, then his eyes lit up, but they were filled in with a question.

"Yes, I will marry you," Lily said happily.

"Well! Really?" James asked, leaping to his feet and picking her up to spin around him.

"Really." She assured him.

James beamed as he set her down.

"Why?" he asked, nuzzling her into his neck.

"Because I never thought you wanted me forever. I thought you would use me and throw me away, and that would be it. But- marriage- I never realized you meant it all!" Lily explained.

"Of course I did!" James teased in mock anger.

"I should have realized…" Lily said, guilt lacing her voice.

"No," he assured her, shaking his head, "No, you shouldn't have."

The next morning, James awoke in his own room at his parents' house, wondering if yesterday was only a dream. Seeing Lily's locket lying on his bedside table, a gift she had given him to keep while they were separated, he turned over and dozed off again.

_I hope…_

A/N: Wow, I thought that was cute! It's a little out there, and I'm sure no one would actually propose like that, but… yeah. Hope everyone enjoyed!


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